Cabinet okays rail link to three religious places in Gujarat, Rajasthan

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the construction of the 116.65-km Taranga Hill-Ambaji-Abu Road rail line at an estimated cost of Rs 2,798.16 crore, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said Wednesday.

To be built by the Ministry of Railways, the project will link two states and three religious places and will be completed by 2026-27.

The proposed rail line will traverse through the Sirohi district of Rajasthan and Sabarkantha, Banaskantha and Mahesana districts of Gujarat.

Ambaji is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths' which attract millions of devotees from Gujarat as well as other parts of the country and abroad every year.

Mount Abu is the headquarters of the Brahma Kumari community and is frequented by its followers from around the world.

The construction of this railway line will facilitate easy travel for millions of devotees. Those visiting the temple of Ajitnath Jain (one of the 24 Tirthankaras) at Taranga Hill will generate direct employment for about 40 lakh man-days.

"The estimated cost of this project is Rs 2,798.16 crore and will be completed by 2026-27. The new railway line will connect two states, and three religious places and will reduce the load on the main railway line," Thakur said at a press briefing.

Besides enhancing connectivity and mobility, the project will lead to the overall socio-economic development of the region.

This line will facilitate faster movement of agricultural and local products and improve mobility of the people between Gujarat and Rajasthan as well as to other parts of the country.

The project will also provide an alternative route to the existing Ahmedabad-Abu Road railway line.

The new line shall also benefit the dairy industry of Mehsana and the marble industry of Gujarat.